Vacuum cleaning device.



A. E. MOORHEAD.

VACUUM CLEANING DEVICE.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 15, 1911.

1,042,71 1. V Patented 001:. 29, 1912.

UNITED STATES PATENT ALBERT E. MOORI-IEAD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNh/IENTS,

AMERICAN ROTARY VALVE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO. ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OFILLINOIS.

VACUUM CLEANING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 29, 19173.

To all 107mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT E. Moon- HEAD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in VacuumCleaning Devices; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in tools adapted for use invacuum cleaning systems and consists of the matters hereinafterdescribed and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a view representing a perspective view ofmy improved vacuum cleaning tool. Fig. 2 is a view representing alongitudinal central section of my improved vacuum cleaning tool. Fig. 3is a view representing a crosssection through my improved vacuumcleaning tool in a plane indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 isa view representing a section similar to that of Fig. 3 showing theparts of the vacuum cleaning tool in a different relative position.

Referring now in detail to that embodiment of my invention illustratedin the drawings, 10 indicates the tool head which consists of a castinginclosing an elongated inlet chamber 11, having a top wall 12, sidewalls 13, 13 and end walls 14, 14. The tool head is provided with meansfor attaching it to a tubular handle member which is adapted for thesupply of water to the inlet chamber in the head and also for theexhaust of air therefrom.

As shown in the drawings, the means for attaching the tool head to thehandle member comprises a.swivel connection by means of which the handlemember may be adjusted atvarious angles to the tool head to accommodatethe position of the handle to people of different heights. To the topwall 12 of the chamber 11 is rigidly secured a chambered coupling member16 the interior of which communicates with the inlet chamber 11 throughan aperture. 11* in its top wall 12. As shown herein, a flange 15surrounds the said aperture 11 and to this is secured by suitable screwsa flange 16 formed at the base of the coupling member 16, a rubbergasket 16 being interposed between the adjacent faces of said flanges tomake an air tight joint. A handle coupling member 17 is secured to thecoiuoling 16 in such manner that it is r 1 tativelv adjustable in avertical plane extendingat right angles to the longitudinal axis of thechamber 16.

As illustrated in the drawings, the coupling member 16 has a'vertic'alwall 16 extending at right angles to the longitudinal central axis.ofthe head 10 in which 1s provided an annular opening -1G'havinginwardlytapering walls which constitute a conical seat for a tubular, conical.lateral extension 17* of thehandle coupling 17.-

Opposite the tubular extension 17 and in axial alinement. therewith thehandle coupling is provided with an aperture 17 through which extends arod 18 having one end 18 threaded into a recess in mama 16 of thecoupling member 16 opposite andin axial alinement with the opening. 16in the wall 16. thereof and its other end 18 threaded to receive a nut19 and jammut 19 the first of which engages against a flat boss 17 onthe handle coupling 17. It is apparent that bydrawing up the nuts on therod 18, an air tightjoint is made between the two coupling members andthat angular adjustment of the handle coupling member with reference tothe plane of the tool head may be had by loosening the nuts 19, 19 androtating the tubular extension 17 within its seat. Thetubular end 17 ofthe han'dlecoupling is adapted for at-' tachment in a familiar manner toa tubular handle member (not shown) having connections for supplyingwater to the tool for use in scrubbing, or for exhausting air from taina partial vacuum therein.

The side and end walls of the chamber 11 are provided with a flexibleelastic continuous flange 20 forming a dowward extension thereof thelower [edge of which is adapted for close contact with a floor or othersurface that is to be cleaned. Said flange 20 is preferably made ofrubber and as shown herein is formed by a strip of sheet rubber which islong enough to extend, about the outer vertical walls of the chamber 11to form side and end extensions or flanges 13, 13", 14, 14*, the loweredges of which terminate in a common plane, the ends of the the chamber11 in saidhead-so as to main-' strip abutting against each other andbeing laced together as illustrated in Fig. 1. A binding strip 21 issecured against the upper edge of the rubber strip 20 by screws 22extending through apertures in the strip and threaded into the walls ofthe chamber. Below said binding strip and preferably at the corners ofthe chamber wall and adjacent its ends, the strip 20 is secured to thewalls of said chamber by other screws 24. This construction rigidlysupports the upper part of the strip forming the clownwardly extendingwall flange andprovides an air tight joint which prevents the entranceof air between the strip 20 and the metal walls of the inlet chamber 11under the force of the vacuum maintained in said chamber.

VVit-hin the chamber 11 is mounted a brush member 25 adapted forscrubbing. Said brush member is provided with bristles 26 and isarranged to be raised or lowered so as to bring the contact plane of thebrush member, that is to say, the plane in which the lower ends of itsbristles 26 terminate, to the level of the plane of the lower edge ofthe flexible flange extending downwardly from the chamber walls, or to alevel below said plane in which latter case the tool head will besupported on the bristles of the brush member. The brush member isprovided with a plurality of flexible elastic tubes 27 extending throughthe brush member and having their lower ends in the contact planethereof, said tubes being adapted for the passage of water drawn orsucked up from the surface that is bein cleaned under the action of thepartia vacuum produced in the inlet chamber. As shown in the drawings,said brush member consists of an elongated rectangular plate 25preferably made of wood and having its edges slightly spaced from theside and end walls of the chamber 11. Said plate 25 constitutes the backof the brush to which are secured the bristles 26 in longitudinally andtransversely arranged rows in a familiar manner. Between the rowsofbristles are arranged the flexible elastictubes 27,'the

lower ends of said tubes terminating in the contact plane of the brushmember or slightly above the same and having their upper ends secured inrecessed openings 28 in the plate 25. Said tubes thus open through theplate 25 and communicate with of'the chamber 11 and are provided abovesaid wall with heads 30" having transverse apertures 30 through whichextend pivot screws 32 carried by cams 33. Each of said cams consists ofa circular disk provided with a slot 33 in which the head 30 of theassociated screw is located, the screw 32 which pivotally connects saidhead to the cam being located eccentrically with refer ence to saiddisk. A flat boss 34 is formed on the outer surface of the top wall 1.2of the chamber 11 upon which the cam 33 bears, the same being heldthereon by means of a curved strap 35 secured to the top wall of thetool head. An operating arm 36 is rigidly secured to the cam andprojects through a slot 37 formed in the strap 35 and located in avertical plane.

As shown in Fig. 3 with the operating arms 36 in substantially verticalposition, the cam holds the frame 29 up against the top wall 12 of thechamber 11 in which case thecontact plane of the brush member is at thesame level with or slightly above the level ofthe plane of the loweredge of the flexible flange extending downwardly from the walls of theinlet head. When the operating arm is shifted to a horizontal position,as shown in Fig. 4, the movement of the cams-has caused a downwardmovement of the brush member so that its contact plane is below thelevel of the plane of the lower edge of said flexible flange extendingdownwardly from the Walls of the inlethead. so that the tool head restsupon and is supported by the brush member, the said flexible wall flangebeing then raised above the surface that is being cleaned.

The operating arms are preferably connected by a bail member 40 having aloop 41 arranged at an angle to the plane of the bail and adaptedto lieagainst the front wall of the tool head when the arms 36 are inhorizontal position and the brush member is in its lowerpositionrelative to the tool head. Said loop may be kicked by the footto swing the bail member 40 from horizontal to vertical position, thusswinging the camoperating arms 36 into vertical position and raising thebrush member so that the tool head will rest upon the flexible flangeextending downwardly from its side and end walls. The loop 41 isarranged so that when the bail 4:0 is shifted to vertical position theside members of said loop will straddle the handle coupling and thusoffer no obstruction to an adjustment of the handle coupling 17 atanyangle.

As shown in the drawings, the bail member 40 is removably connected tothe camoperating arms 36, 36, so that when it is desired to adjust'thebrush member in. the toolhead, said bail member may be disconnected fromsaid arms, the straps 35, 35 removed and the screws 30, 30 which suspendthe brush from the top wall of the head may be rotated to adjust thebrush member up or down. In making this adjustment the camoperating arms36 when brought to horizontal position as shown in Fig. 1 may be used ascrank-arms to rotate said screws.

The operation of my improved tool is as follows: \Vith the brush memberin its lower position as shown in Fig. 4, water is supplied to the inletchamber from which it passes through the tubes 27 to the floor or othersurface to be cleaned. The tool head is then pushed ,backward andforward over the floor just as in the case of the usual scrubbing brushand the operation is continued until the dust and other impurities havebeen removed from the floor, the same being now carried in solution orin suspension in the water which covers the floor. The supplyof water tothe head is then out 011 by a suitable valve'(not shown) located in thetubular handle member attached to the tubular end 17 of the handlecoupling 17, and a valve (not shown) controlling the exhaust throughsaid tubular handle member is opened so as to produce a partial vacuumin the inlet chamber of the head. The brash member is now raised withinthe head to the position illustrated in Fig. 3 which causes the flexibleflange on the tool head to engage the floor, and the tool head is movedbackward and forward over the floor. The flexible flange by its contactwith the floor incloses the space about the brush member, so that thepartial vacuum maintained in the inlet chamber causes the water to besucked up through the tubes 27 carried by the brush member into theinlet chamber and thence through the tubular handle in a familiar mannerwhence the water is led to a suitable place for discharge. As the toolhead is moved over the floor the flexible flange of the head assumes aposition inclined away from the direction in which the tool head isbeing moved and that part of the flange in advance namely, one of itssides13 13? having atmospheric pressure on its outer surface tending toraise it from contact with the floor opposed by the lesser pressurewithin the inlet head, is slightly raised from contact with the floor,thus permitting the water in advance of it to be drawn into the inletchamber. That part of the flange at the rear of the advancing tool headon the other hand by reason of its rearward inclination is held by theatmospheric pressure on its outer surface in close contact with thefloor so as to produce a wiping action which prevents the escape of anyWater at the rear of the advancing tool. By this operation all the wateris removed from the floor. The operation may be repeated as often asdesired, the tool first being used to scrub the floor and then for -myinvention, I have referred to certain de-' tails of mechanicalconstruction and arrangement, it is to be understood that my inventionis in no way limited thereby except as pointed out in the appendedclaims.

.I claim as my invention 1. A tool for use with vacuum cleanlng systemscomprising a head containing an elongated inlet chamber having side andend walls and a top wall, means providing a passage. opening into saidhead adapted for the supply of water thereto and for the exhaust of airtherefrom, a brush member located in said inlet chamber, a plurality offlexible tubes carried by said brush member having their lower endssubstantially in the contact plane of said brush member and their upperends opening into said inlet 'chamber above said brush member, thevertical walls of said chamber being provided with a yielding flangeforming a downward extension thereof to inclose the space; about saidbrush member and having its lower edge adapted for engagement againstthe surface to be cleaned, said brush member and said flange beingcapable of relative vertical movement, and means for producin relativevertical movement between sai brush member and said flange to raise orlower the contact surface of. said brush member relatively to the loweredge of said flange.

2. A tool for use with vacuum cleaning systems comprising a headcontaining an elongated inlet chamber having side and end walls and atop wall, means providing a passage opening into said head adapted forthe supply of water thereto and for the exhaust of air therefrom, abrush member vertically movable in said inlet chamber, a plurality offlexible tubes carried by said brush member having their lower endssubstantially in the contact plane of said brush member and their upperends opening into said inlet chamber, the vertical walls of said chamberbeing provided with a yielding flange forming a downward extensionthere- .3. A tool for use with vacuum cleaning systems comprising a headcontaining an elongated inlet chamber having side and end walls and atop Wall, means providing a passage opening into said head adapted forthe supply of water thereto and for the exhaust of air therefrom, abrush member vertically movable in said inlet chamber, a plurality oiflexible tubes carried by said brush member having their lower endssubstantially in the contact plane of said brush member and their upperends opening into said inlet chamber, the vertical walls of said chamberbeing provided with a yielding flange form.- ing a downward extensionthereof to inclcse the space about said brush member and having itslower edge adapted for engagement against the surface to be. cleanedwhen said brush member is in raised position, suspension membersthreaded into said "brush member and projecting at their upper endsthrough apertures in the top wall of said inlet chamber, cams supportedon said head and to which the upper ends of said suspension members arepivotally connected, removable slotted straps adapted for holding saidcame in place, operating arms connected to said cams and projectingthrough the slots of said straps, and a bail member connecting said armsand adapted for operating them in unison.

a. A. tool for use with vacuum cleaning systems comprising a headcontaining an elongated inlet chamber having side and end walls and atop wall, means providing a passage opening into said head adapted forthe supply of water thereto and for the exhaust of air therefrom, abrush member vertically movable in said inlet chamber, a

plurality of flexible tubes carried by said brush member having theirlower ends substantially in the contact plane oi said brush member andtheir upper ends opening into said inlet chamber, the vertical walls ofsaid chamber being provided with a yielding flange forming a downwardextension there of to inclose the space about said brush member andhaving its lower edge adapted for engageme..1t against the surface to becleaned when said brush member is in raised position, means forsupporting said brush member in said chamber, said means includingmembers adapted for vertical adjustment of said brush member, and meansoperable from the outside of said head for raising and lowering saidbrush member.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix mysignature in the presence of two Witnesses, this 10th day of June A. D.1.911.

ALBERT E. MOORHEAD. Witnesses CLARENCE E. Mnnnrrorn, Gnomes R. WILKINS.

